Food fit for a Queen

The Queen's former personal chef has revealed some of Her Majesty's favourite meals in a recent interview.

Chef Darren McGrady told the Times of London that HRH Queen Elizabeth II starts the day with a bowl of Corn Flakes or Special K and some fruit.

Unsuprisingly, the Queen is also a fan of tea, and usually has a cup in the morning and another in the afternoon, accompanied by some scones and sandwiches. "She'd maybe have one or two tiny sandwiches, and sometimes the scones she'd actually just crumble on the carpet for the dogs to eat," McGrady reveals.

She apparently hates potatoes and her love of tiny sandwiches includes the very English cucumber with no crusts, and smoked salmon or ham and mustard.

Her Majesty's dinner can include some simple fish or venison and vegetables. For dessert, her royal sweet-tooth favours jam pennies, a traditional English jam sandwich cut into circles like the penny coin. One of her favourite cakes is a chocolate biscuit cake that Prince William is also fond of, so fond in fact that he chose to serve it at his wedding reception.

Her favourite drinks are Earl Grey and Darjeeling teas, and she enjoys a gin and tonic at the end of the day. "She'd normally have a gin and Dubonnet; one part gin and two parts Dubonnet," says McGrady.

Organic produce is being served more often in the royal palace thanks to Prince Charles. "Even when we travelled to Sandringham he would arrive with all his organic products and things, and Prince Philip was never too impressed with all this organic stuff," he said. "But I think now its all changed."